Can-cover loosener.



0. ELBNELL.

GAN COVER LOOSBNER'. @PPLIOATION FILED MAR. 17, 1910.

' Patented May 21,1912.

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- UNITED sTATs l PATENT OFFICE..

o'rtro F. FNFLL, oF BUFFALO, NEW

YORK, AssIorNoF, To BUFFALO sFFoIALTY COMPANY,

i 0F BUFFALO, NEW AYORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CAN-COVER LOOSENER.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Application filed March 1'?, 1910. Serial No. 550,028.

To all whom it may concern."A

Be it known that I, OTTO E. ENELL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and VState of New York, have invented a certain new, and

useful Improvement in Can-Cover Loosenf ers, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in devices for loosening and facilitating the removal of t-he covers of cans, boxes and other receptacles, and it consists primarily in interposing a thin metal sheet between the can body and cover land providing an exterior knob-member or handle by which the thin sheet may be moved in its interposed position around the can body to loosen the cover from said body.

The principal objects lof the invention are to provide a device of this character which is separate from the can'an'd is placed in operative position by` fitting it between the can body and cover, which is detachable and may be quickly removed from or placed inv position, which is held in` place without riveting or otherwise fastening it to the can body or cover, and may'be ,employed with anordinary can or box/without altering or in any way changing' the can or box, and which in operative position may be turned to loosen the cover from ,the body completely around the circumference thereof.

This invention also relates to certain details of construction which will be herein` after described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which an adaptation of the invention is illustrated. Figure l. is a side view of a can or box equipped with the improved loosening device. Fig.,2. is a top plan lview of a can equipped with the improved loosening de-` vice. Fig. 3. is an enlarge fragmentary vertical section on line ct-a- Fig. 2; Fig. .4. is an enlarged fragmentary section on line Zie-ZJ Fig. l, through the portion of t-he de- .vice interposed between the cover and canv body to illustrate the manner in which the yinterposed portion is curved to the curvature of the body side and the edges sharpened, also showing fragments of the, body Vand cover between which itis interposed. Fig. 5, is a detached top plan view of the can loosen-k ing device. Fig. 6. is anenlarged edge view `of the loosening device. yFig. 7. is a detached bottom view ofk thek can loosening device.

Fig.` 8. is an enlarged lvertical 4section 'posite sides through another form of can or boxhaving an insert cover.

In referring to the drawings in detail, like numeralsdesignate like parts.

In Figs. l and 2, a can or box of conventional type for holding shoeblackening or other material is illustrated, and in Fig. 8, a different form of receptacle is illustrated. It should, however, be understood that the shape, former mechanical structure of the can, box or other receptacle is immaterial as this 'invent-ion relates purely tothe device for loosening the cover from the'body can, box or other receptacle, and that the loosening device may be altered, changed or modied in shape, arrangement Vor structure within the spirit and scope of the following claims to enable its utilization with various types of receptacles. The can or box shown in'Figs. 1 and 2, consists of a body'having a bottom l, and a circular flange or side 2, and a cover having -a top 3, vand a circular iange 4., which is adapted to .be fitted tightly around the flange or side 2, of the body.

A preferred adapt-ation of the loosening deviceis shown in the accompanying drawings which is preferablyformed from a suitable blankof sheet metal and embodies an upper member and a lower member; said members being bent so asV to t loosely on 0p- Yof the cover and a projecting knob or handle, which joins the outer ends `of the upper and lower members together,

and also serves as an operating element. p

The upper member is of an angular form having a vertical portion 5, which extends up on the exterior of the side of the flange '4, and a horizontal portion 6, which extends inwardly over the top surface of the top 3, of the cover when the device is in position.

If a grooved cover is employed, the inner end of the horizontal portion v6, of the upper membermay be bent downward, as indicated by the numeral 7 in Figs. l and 2, to extend into the groove 8.

r'Iherlower member consists of a comparatively wide horizont-al inner portion v9 which has an outer edge 10 curved substantially to the interior curvature Aofthe circular flange or side of the body, and an outer straight edge` l1, which is preferablyv stiffened by bending the marginal portion upon itself as V.in Fig.l 2,d and a vertical. portion 12, which p v is about equal in width to the upper member. 110

The vertical portion 12, is shaped in cross sectional contour to conform to the curve of the flange or side 2, and has its side edges sharpened to form feather edges 13, as shown in Fig. 4. The object of' this is not only to provide a sharp edge for easily cutting through any paper label, paint, enamel or other material that may be on the can or box, and which would otherwise interfere with the easy removal of the cover, but also to provide an air tight closure when the cover is in place and thus prevent the evaporation of moisture and the consequent drying out of the contents of the box.

It will be easily seen that owing to the peculiar curved and sharpened form of the vertical portion 12, that its inner surface will fit perfectly against the curved outer surface of the fiange or side 2, and its outer surface will fit perfectly against the inner surface of the flange 4, thus securing an absolutely air tight joint at the point where the loosening device is interposed between `the cover and can body, see Fig. 4.

The vertical portion 12, is joined at its upper end to the horizontal portion 9, by

`an integral bend 14.

Then two members are connected together by aiknob like member which is preferably formedV integral with the members and consistsjof a body 15 of tubular form and end closures for said body which are constructed by bending ears 16, to close the openings in the ends.

The ears are formed integral with the body 15, being projections from the sides thereof, and a separate stiffening, strengthening and filling piece of metal 17, is fitted within the tubular body and held therein by the bent ears 16.

The parts may, if it is thought desirable, be soldered or otherwise secured at appropriate places to secure rigidity of structure.

The knob is joined to the vertical portions of the upper and lower members by short approximately horizontal portions 18 and 19.

In Fig. 7, a can or receptacle having an insert cover is shown which consists of a body 20, having an angular horizontally extending top flange 21 and a cover having a top 22, and an upwardly extending flange 28, provided with a top enlargement 24. In this form the cover is inserted in the opening in the fiange 21, with the flage 28, fitting within the circular inner edge of the flange and the enlargement 24, resting upon the top surface of the flange 21, to limit the entrance of the cover. The loosening device suitable for this form of can or receptacle is bent somewhat differently to conform to the shape of the receptacle and cover and consists of a lower member having an inner horizontal portion 25, a vertical portion 26, which extends upward from the outer edge of the horizontal portion 25, and

an outer horizontal portion 27, which extends outwardly from the upper end of the vertical portion 26; and an upper member which has a curved inner portion 28, adapted to fit over the outer surface of the enlargement 24, and a horizontal outer portion 29; and an outer knob like operating member 30, which is joined to the upper and lower members by short portions 31 and 32.

-In equipping a can, box or other receptacle with this improved loosener, it is first slipped into place on the cover and the cover is then fitted on the can or box body.

When it is desired to remove the cover,

the loosening device is turned or moved in' its interposed posit-ion around the can body by pressure of the operators fingers on the knob, and the cover is then easily removed either by lifting on the knob to separate the cover from the can body or by lifting t-he cover directly from the body with the fingers.

The principal advantages of this device reside in its simplicity of construction and its cheapness, in the fact that it is not fastened to the can at all, and is simply held in place by having one member interposed between the body and cover, and another member fitted on the cover, that it does not prevent an air tight joint, and that it may be slid between the cover and body and thus serves to completely loosen the cover from the body to permit its easy removal.

I claim.

1. The combination with a receptacle and a flanged cover for said receptacle of a loosening device for said cover consisting of an upper member and a lower member, said members having lower and outer ends, and a projecting knob-like member connected to and extending from the lower and outer ends of said upper and lower members; said upper and lower members being of angular form and extending approximately parallel with each other and being slightly separated to permit the interfitting of the lower member between the cover flange and the receptacle side and the fitting of the upper member against the outer surface of the cover fiange and top.

2. The combination with a receptacle and a fianged cover for said receptacle, of a cover loosening device consisting of an angular upper member having a vertical portion adapted to fit against the exterior of the flange of the cover and a horizont-al portion extending from the upper end of the body of the cover, an angular lower member having an upper horizont-al portion adapted to fit under the cover and a lower vertical portion extending downwardly from the upper horizontal portion and adapted to be interposed between the cover and receptacle, said upper and lower members having lower and outer ends and an outwardlyprojecting operating member connected to the lower and outer ends of the vertical portions of both the upper and lower members.

3. The combination with a receptacle and a flanged lcover for said receptacle, of a loosening device 'having angular members extending approximately parallel and adapted to be detachably slipped on op* posed sides of the flanged cover with the upper member extending on the exterior of the cover and the lower membertting between the cover and receptacle', said upper and lower members having outer and lower projecting ends which when the loosening device is properly fitted in place extend in substantially the same horizont-al plane as the lower edge of the flanged cover anda projecting operating member attached to the outer and lower ends of the angular members.

OTTO E. ENELL.

Witnesses:

L. M. SANGSTER, GEORGE A. NEUBAUER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C.

Commissioner oi Patenti, 

